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First Impressions: 6 Films With Great Premises That Didn’t Deliver

Everyone is saying that the film industry is dying, well, more like the heart of the film industry is dying. Long gone are the days of original movies taking the box office by storm. Now, sequels, re-imaginings, and remakes dominate the ever-greedy industry by finding the most obscure and irrelevant token of days past in hopes that the feeling of nostalgia will make hundreds of millions in profit. So far, the only type of movie this has worked with is the superhero movie, something that Marvel – Disney, now, I guess – has found the most success in chasing.

I personally disagree with this statement. I don’t believe the heart of the film industry is dying. Instead, I believe the human mind has seen it all, making us tired and jaded. As a society, we strive for “what’s new” and currently, very little is. So when a spectacular film comes along – like The Hurt Locker – it is often ignored due to the derivative premise, even when said film achieves critical acclaim. Our thirst for innovation overrules our thirst for emotion.

But there are always those films that seep through the crack, and attempt to seduce us with an ingenious premise sure to kick start our minds again, and eventually our hearts. Hearsay spreads the news of the film like wildfire as people flock to the theaters to feed their addiction. Sometimes, a risk like this works (Looper) and other times…well, that’s what this article is for. The following films left trailer viewers and film buffs in awe with their great premises, but when the credits rolled, a premise was all these films were.